Jesus prepares his disciples for change.

Matthew 5-7 indicates the nature of change that Jesus considered he was bringing to the lives of
those with ‘ears to hear’

Matthew 9-11 offers an interesting snap of Jesus preparing his disciples for ‘things to come’.

Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:9, Matthew 17:22-23 Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 26:1-2, Matthew
26:31-35 indicate a number of occasions when Jesus sought to prepare his disciples for ‘things
to come’, for change.

(Parallel passages in the other gospels are worth checking out for slightly different takes on the
incident, and slightly different emphases that the other writers had: Mark 8:31, Mark 9:30-32,
Mark 10:32-34, Mark 14:27-31; Luke 9:21-22, Luke 9:43-45, Luke 18:31-34, Luke 22:31-38;
John 2:12-22, John 12:20-36, John 13:18-38)

Here is some of how I read these passages:

Preparing his disciples for their future role:

Matthew 9-11 – Jesus is engaging is a number of activities that indicate his power, and his role.
First there is the healing that demonstrates that Jesus has power to forgive sins, something only
God can do, then there is teaching in the face of challenge and further demonstrations of power:
to raise someone from the dead; to give sight to the blind; and to cast out a spirit of dumbness.
As he teaches, he realises there are many who are ‘like sheep without a shepherd’. His
response is to (1) pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers, (2) to send out his
disciples two-by-two. As he sends out his disciples he indicates their role, how prepared they
should go, what to expect. Disciples come from John the Baptist to check Jesus’ credentials,
Jesus has much to say about belief, disbelief, and unbelief, again finishing with a prayer
thanking God for his sovereign wisdom, and calling any who are burdened to receive Jesus’ rest.

Predicting his own death and resurrection – preparing them for significant change:

Matthew 16 – in the midst of the discussion about who Jesus is, after Peter’s declaration of Jesus
as the Christ, the son of the living God. That understanding and belief needed to be in place
first. There needed to be an indication of the ‘eyes of faith’ to ‘see’, for the preparation to be
effective. Details indicate that the rejection, by the Jewish leaders, of Jesus, and his status and
role, was a significant part of what was going on.

Matthew 17 – after the transfiguration and a further demonstration of Jesus’ power. There was
confirmation from God that Jesus was the Messiah. In this instance the protagonists are ‘men’
more generally, who are rejecting Jesus.

Matthew 20 – Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem with his disciples. In this instance Jesus fills in
further details. He reiterates the role of the religious leaders in rejecting him, and that has been
evident in the recent challenging of that leadership in Matthew 19. He goes further and
indicates the role of the Gentiles, and the nature of the death – crucifixion.

Matthew 26:1-2 – it is now only two days before the event, and Jesus indicates the day it is to
occur.
Matthew 26:31-35 – the event is now only hours away, and Jesus seeks to prepare Peter and the
disciples for their desertion of him, and for what must happen after the event. In very serious
change there is a risk of losing sight of God’s plan and of his care, there is the risk, from our
end, of betrayal, denial, desertion. Jesus knows the ‘heart of man’ (John 2:25), and he promises
his disciples that there is restoration and a new vision of what God has done and is doing for
them and in their lives (John 16:17-33).

Nevertheless, when the crucifixion occurred, it appears that the disciples neither understood nor
remembered the promise of the resurrection, and when the resurrection occurred we find them
operating in disbelief and unbelief.

Matthew 28, and the other records of the resurrection and post-resurrection events (Mark 16,
Luke 24, John 20-21, and Acts 1), indicate that such preparation was better understood after the
event than before. Then the disciples were truly comforted and prepared and equipped for their
ministry to come.

As you think about the significant changes that have come upon you in your life, do you
recognise any times where your Lord has prepared you for such changes? If so, then praise His
glorious name, and recognise the extent to which He cares for you.